“Soludo’s careless, empty talks have now become the new normal within the Anambra political space.” —Ebuka Onyekwelu
The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Soludo, has elevated jesting as the main thrust of his electioneering campaign ahead of the November 8, 2025, Anambra State Governorship Election. Throughout his campaign outings, he has continued to deride fellow contestants, leaving his over three-year-old scorecard unmentioned and of no issue in the election build-up. This pattern, which is new in the politics of Anambra State, creates an impression that Governor Soludo is mindfully stalking distractions to evade accountability.
Professor Soludo, who had downplayed his achievements as governor since he was sworn in in 2022, resorted to taunting the candidate of APC, Mr. Nicholas Ukachukwu, accusing him of having a series of F grades in his O-level. In consequence, Soludo claims that Ukachukwu is unfit to govern Anambra State. Taking this a bit higher, an AI-generated meme was quickly deployed with a mock image of Nicholas Ukachukwu carrying a signpost that reads out all the subjects the governor claimed he scored an F9 in his O-level results. The AI meme was shared on social media not only by the governor’s aides on new media but also by no less a person than the Anambra State Commissioner of Information, Dr. Law Mefor. This jab, as odd and tasteless as it appears, has been Soludo’s message in his electioneering campaign. However, the governor has taken this a little higher by extending the same interrogation of academic record to the Deputy Governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Uche Ekwunife. Governor Soludo accused Ekwunife of possessing a fake PhD, having earned it from an unapproved university.
Still unsatisfied, Governor Soludo, while attending the New Yam festival in Umueri, the hometown of Sir Paul Chukwuma, the YPP Governorship candidate, made remarks suggesting that Paul Chukwuma is not serious about the governorship race because he is from Anambra North and also has age on his side. Soludo’s comments about Chukwuma were borne out of his claims that there exists a zoning arrangement in Anambra State, and in which case, Anambra North is not ripe to have another taste at the Government House of Anambra State. But in truth, Soludo was the governorship candidate of the PDP in the 2010 Anambra State Governorship Election, while Peter Obi was running to return for his second term. In that Election, Soludo of PDP, Ngige of ACN, Peter Obi of APGA, Andy Uba of LP, Nicholas Ukachukwu of HDP, and Uche Ekwunife of PPA, were the major candidates in that election. Soludo, Ukachukwu, and Uba are from Anambra South, while Obi, Ngige, and Ekwunife are from Anambra Central. Then again, in 2013, Soludo also joined APGA and contested the party’s gubernatorial nomination, but he was disqualified. In that contest, Senator Uche Ekwunife from Anambra Central also contested and, eventually, Willie Obiano from Anambra North won the APGA nomination, marking the very first time anyone from Anambra North has become the candidate of a mainstream party in the State’s gubernatorial election. Obiano then went on to become the first elected Anambra State governor from the Northern senatorial zone of the state. Governor Soludo is not unaware of these facts because he was a player in that history and couldn’t have possibly forgotten so fast. Yet, he has adopted the rhetoric, now posing as an apostle of zoning that he once contested.
Not leaving the governor to go free with his comments, Paul Chukwuma took his time to address Soludo the next evening, calling him to channel his energy into the plethora of governance challenges facing Anambra State and resolve them or resign and join market women in empty jests and joke, and leave governance for more serious minded people who are ready to face the many problems of governance in Anambra State. His measured response in person with the press release from his team immediately went viral on social media.
However, on Tuesday morning, Uche Ekwunife, the running mate to Nicholas Ukachukwu of the APC, descended on Governor Soludo with the full weight of a woman’s jesting prowess, knocking Soludo from all corners and challenging him to pay attention to his personal hygiene. Ekwunife’s punches delivered with precision have left the political space dominated by mere jest in what is now looking like a contest of who has far more lethal talking points.
Soludo’s careless, empty talks have now become the new normal within the Anambra political space, reducing an opportunity to outline his administration’s scorecard to mere banter that points to absolutely nothing. The Governor must call himself to order and not continue to reduce the reverence of his exalted office as a tool for denigrating others and political opponents.
♦ Ebuka Onyekwelu, journalist and trained political scientist, is a writer and columnist with the West African Pilot News
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